Police Hope to Seize Motorcycles Without Trial

[Jane Honda]

Okay, this is just wrong, and I think even MEP would agree....

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/15/1537.asp

Florida: Police Hope to Seize Motorcycles Without Trial
Florida Highway Patrol seized 344 motorcycles last year by accusing owners of a felony.

The Florida Highway Patrol on Thursday showed off a trio of high-powered sport motorcycles it had recently seized, including the $9300 Yamaha YZF-R6.

"All the law says is we get the tag number, we just come and pick up the bike," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Kim Miller told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

Last year, the force grabbed the rides of 344 motorcyclists, usually claiming that their owners had run from the police -- a felony -- based on a memory of a license plate number. No police car can keep up with either a sport bike's top speed or ability to accelerate, and Florida police have a policy restricting high-speed chases. Although police claim the confiscation policy is done to save the lives of innocent motorists, no automobile driver has been killed by a motorcyclist on the run.

The most common state police tactic is to accuse a motorcyclist of a felony, initiate the seizure proceeding, then drop the charges. This allows police get to keep the sport bike without the effort of a court battle or the danger of a not guilty verdict. Even an innocent motorcyclist will think twice about fighting an an unjust seizure since the felony charges carry jail time and a permanent black mark on more than just the driving record.

Source: Reckless bikers risk losing rides (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/yahoo/orl-bikes06_107jan06,0,6419035.story?page=2&coll=orl-newsaol-headlines) (Orlando Sentinel (FL), 1/6/2007)

[TAT2D]

Nazi tactics if you want my :2cents: Alot of bikes look alike, and the numbers on the license plates are mighty small at that speed:( What a bunch of crap:yell: Everyone should at least be able to have their day in court......especially when the stakes are so high!

Again, just my opinion:idunno:

B

[MEP1000]

:pityfool-MrT: :pityfool-MrT: :pityfool-MrT: :pityfool-MrT: Fishy to say the least.

[Asphalt Surfer]

Reckless bikers risk losing rides
Henry Pierson Curtis | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 6, 2007

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/yahoo/orl-bikes06_107jan06,0,6419035.story?page=2&coll=orl-newsaol-headlines

The young daredevils who speed away from police on high-performance motorcycles face a growing risk across Florida: losing their wheels.

All it takes is letting a cop get close enough to their fast-moving bikes to see the license plate.

But it's not as easy as it sounds.

Young riders rarely brake. They snap the throttle. And they give the finger to cops at 150 mph -- faster than any police car built.

"All the law says is we get the tag number, we just come and pick up the bike [or car]," Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Trooper Kim Miller said Thursday. "Whenever they give us a tool, we use the tool."

Three confiscated sport bikes now sit outside FHP troop headquarters in Orlando. Four await forfeiture in DeLand. And 15 to 20 more are locked in a shed in Miami. In 2006, records show, FHP confiscated 344 motorcycles from riders who ran or committed some other felony.

It's a tiny number in a state with about 400,000 registered motorcycles -- and riders who know the cops can't always chase them because of changes in pursuit policies.

But just wait. In the next 30 days, FHP and police departments in South Florida are forming a task force to crack down on sport bikers who refuse to stop.

Officers can keep up with most cars on the road, so chases are more of an issue with high-speed motorcycles. It used to be rare for motorists to flee from police.

"Now, it's not," said Lt. Pat Santangelo in Miami, who joined FHP in 1982. "Of course, years ago, people knew we'd chase 'em."

Besides the stricter chase policies -- aimed at preventing crashes because of pursuits -- the surge in bikers who flee since the 1990s is attributed to marketing 150-mph motorcycles to teenagers for monthly payments that break down to as little as $3.33 a day.

Running is so common, officers say, that riders frequently bend their tags to make them harder to see. FHP is lobbying state legislators to increase the size of motorcycle tags from 3-by-6 inches to a more visible size.

Orlando-based Trooper Harold Schweinsberg described how often young riders have refused to stop for him as "too numerous to remember." So he and other troopers do their best to get the tag number before turning on their blue lights.

"They're usually riding so recklessly, they're not watching who's coming up behind," he said.

In 2005, Schweinsberg bagged a Yamaha R6 when its rider, Shawn Connor, fled after "popping a wheelie" at 80 mph on Interstate 4. Connor, then 23, and a buddy on another bike sped away onto Florida's Turnpike without stopping to pay their tolls, arrest records show.

Thinking they got away, the two stopped to refuel at the Turkey Creek service plaza. That's where the other rider escaped on a bike without a tag when Schweinsberg busted Connor and took his motorcycle.

"He looked surprised," the trooper said.

The move to seize motorcycles or cars from drivers who flee police -- a felony in Florida -- is happening internationally.

In Australia, police call seizing motorcycles "hoon enforcement," slang for "a show-off with limited intelligence." From July through Oct. 23 in 2006, 441 motorcycles and cars were seized in the state of Victoria under a new law letting officers take speeders' vehicles.

Florida law allows the permanent confiscation of any vehicle used in a felony crime, such as fleeing and eluding, or for a second street-racing conviction within five years. The Orange County Sheriff's Office routinely impounds street racers' cars for 10 days and permanently confiscated one repeat offender's car last year.

Page 2

One Orlando rider who lost his bike doesn't approve of confiscation but said something needs to be done to curtail the deaths of reckless riders.

"A lot of young kids think it's like watching something on TV," said Christopher Williams, a registered nurse and veteran motorcyclist. "You get a lot of second chances in a car. You don't get a second chance on a bike."

FHP seized Williams' motorcycle in 2005 when a trooper stopped his younger brother for riding with a bent tag. The stop led to an arrest on felony charges that later were dropped -- but FHP kept the bike.

Police say confiscation ultimately protects other motorists.

A recent death in south Orange County underscored the danger a recklessly operated motorcycle poses to riders and other motorists.

Lewis Collins, who was not running from police, was riding in excess of 100 mph on Dec. 12 on John Young Parkway when he hit a Nissan Xterra, according to FHP. Collins died instantly when his 400-pound motorcycle flipped over the 4,000-pound sport utility vehicle.

Each year, scores of law-abiding motorcyclists die when struck by other vehicles. No one in Central Florida has been killed by a fleeing motorcyclist, according to interviews.

"If we don't get a handle on it, somebody's going to die as a result of these criminals," Miller said. "There's too much complacency about traffic issues."

The Florida Highway Patrol is taking sport bikes from riders who flee police.

Henry Pierson Curtis can be reached at hcurtis@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5257.

[gixxerking777]

Ignore me, I live in New Jersey. Well that or Little Rock AR. Either way I suck and I'm not local, I just joined to cause hate and discontent.

[MarineHawk]

LMAO!!! As a lifetime rider and very seasoned street racer/stunter I cannot but laugh at this silly and insignificant new law florida has: 1000 dollar ticket for a wheelie or 30 mph over the speed limit? Are you kidding me lol? First off no real rider/racer/stunter is going to just pull their 160 mph + bike over and accept a ticket for 1000 dollar and or go to jail! This moronic law will only accomplish the deaths of young newbie riders(squids) that have a brand new Gixxer,Ninja,Fizzer,etc and who want to impress the other riders by running and then they will end up killing or maiming themselves whereas those of us of whom have mad skillz on the freeway as well as bikes that rival trident missiles lol in power to weight ratio will choose to run and we will easily get away! Oh and as far as getting the plate numbers this too is absurd because any true street racer/stunter knows this and we have a trick called plate flipping or we simply remove the tag intoto so that there exists no evidence whatsoever of our bike or us doing anything and God bless America to where we have rights and in court of law you must show proof it was us on that bike so good luck with that lol.

You know, it's replies like this that make me shake my head and sigh. I might be a young kid by most people's standards (being 22), but there's this thing called respect and discipline that I just fail to recognize in kids anymore, and despite you saying you're a "lifetime rider" and "very seasoned street racer/stunter"...Well, I say bull****. Your response, attitude, and general reaction are childish and only make me say "Go Florida" when they enact these stupid laws.

Now, don't get me wrong, this law is absolutely ridiculous. I can -maybe- understand the confiscation of my bike -until- a trial, but if I'm cleared and the charges are dropped? Why the **** should I not get my bike back? Nuts to that. And to say that creating harsh punishments will only lead to more law breaking in an attempt to escape? I disagree entirely. You don't see the majority of people running away, plate flipping, etc if they get caught doing something dumb in their car. Most just sigh, accept responsibility and pull over, regardless of having a vehicle that can or can't outrun a cop's. Anyways, no more soapbox for me, back to work.

[nelson]

You know, it's replies like this that make me shake my head and sigh. I might be a young kid by most people's standards (being 22), but there's this thing called respect and discipline that I just fail to recognize in kids anymore, and despite you saying you're a "lifetime rider" and "very seasoned street racer/stunter"...Well, I say bull****. Your response, attitude, and general reaction are childish and only make me say "Go Florida" when they enact these stupid laws.

Now, don't get me wrong, this law is absolutely ridiculous. I can -maybe- understand the confiscation of my bike -until- a trial, but if I'm cleared and the charges are dropped? Why the **** should I not get my bike back? Nuts to that. And to say that creating harsh punishments will only lead to more law breaking in an attempt to escape? I disagree entirely. You don't see the majority of people running away, plate flipping, etc if they get caught doing something dumb in their car. Most just sigh, accept responsibility and pull over, regardless of having a vehicle that can or can't outrun a cop's. Anyways, no more soapbox for me, back to work.

:clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

I was clocked going 94 in a 40. as soon as I seen the lights I pulled over to accept my stupidity. He let me off with only 20 over. He said " I am suprised you pulled over. Most people on a bike like yours would have run"

[MarinesBiatch]

:clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

I was clocked going 94 in a 40. as soon as I seen the lights I pulled over to accept my stupidity. He let me off with only 20 over. He said " I am suprised you pulled over. Most people on a bike like yours would have run"

Here's one for you too! :clapping:

[MarinesBiatch]

You know, it's replies like this that make me shake my head and sigh. I might be a young kid by most people's standards (being 22), but there's this thing called respect and discipline that I just fail to recognize in kids anymore, and despite you saying you're a "lifetime rider" and "very seasoned street racer/stunter"...Well, I say bull****. Your response, attitude, and general reaction are childish and only make me say "Go Florida" when they enact these stupid laws.

Now, don't get me wrong, this law is absolutely ridiculous. I can -maybe- understand the confiscation of my bike -until- a trial, but if I'm cleared and the charges are dropped? Why the **** should I not get my bike back? Nuts to that. And to say that creating harsh punishments will only lead to more law breaking in an attempt to escape? I disagree entirely. You don't see the majority of people running away, plate flipping, etc if they get caught doing something dumb in their car. Most just sigh, accept responsibility and pull over, regardless of having a vehicle that can or can't outrun a cop's. Anyways, no more soapbox for me, back to work.

Good job babe! Way to shut him up! :D

[TOM-CAT]

Okay, this is just wrong, and I think even MEP would agree....

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/15/1537.asp

Florida: Police Hope to Seize Motorcycles Without Trial
Florida Highway Patrol seized 344 motorcycles last year by accusing owners of a felony.

The Florida Highway Patrol on Thursday showed off a trio of high-powered sport motorcycles it had recently seized, including the $9300 Yamaha YZF-R6.

"All the law says is we get the tag number, we just come and pick up the bike," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Kim Miller told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

Last year, the force grabbed the rides of 344 motorcyclists, usually claiming that their owners had run from the police -- a felony -- based on a memory of a license plate number. No police car can keep up with either a sport bike's top speed or ability to accelerate, and Florida police have a policy restricting high-speed chases. Although police claim the confiscation policy is done to save the lives of innocent motorists, no automobile driver has been killed by a motorcyclist on the run.

The most common state police tactic is to accuse a motorcyclist of a felony, initiate the seizure proceeding, then drop the charges. This allows police get to keep the sport bike without the effort of a court battle or the danger of a not guilty verdict. Even an innocent motorcyclist will think twice about fighting an an unjust seizure since the felony charges carry jail time and a permanent black mark on more than just the driving record.

Source: Reckless bikers risk losing rides (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/yahoo/orl-bikes06_107jan06,0,6419035.story?page=2&coll=orl-newsaol-headlines) (Orlando Sentinel (FL), 1/6/2007)

What a crock of S#!T!!! :yell:

Guilty or innocent, that is up to a jury.

[Willixer600]

How crazy would that be...Your at home doing what ever, Theres dust on your bike from sitting in the shop. You get a knock on the doore, they tell you there here to take your bike. Hand it over..:twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: F-----YOU!

:crazy: Crazy...

As far as running from a police officer...Stupid!!!!
Pull over and take what you created. :squid: :squid: :squid: :squid:

[Redlegracing]

It seems to me like a revenue making scam like most speed limits outside the city limits.... Honestly some roads do not need speed limits, and slow people whom go 10mph or more under the speed limit need to be ticketed more, atleast catch the jack@$$ who goes from the far left lane to the exit at the last possible second...

[MarineHawk]

atleast catch the jack@$$ who goes from the far left lane to the exit at the last possible second...

Amen to that.

[MarinesBiatch]

No joke!!

[NinjaKitty]

It seems to me like a revenue making scam like most speed limits outside the city limits.... Honestly some roads do not need speed limits, and slow people whom go 10mph or more under the speed limit need to be ticketed more, atleast catch the jack@$$ who goes from the far left lane to the exit at the last possible second...

:plusone: And the dumb%^&* who tailgates ! :shifty:

[MarinesBiatch]

I second that!!!!!!!!!

[TOM-CAT]

:plusone: And the dumb%^&* who tailgates ! :shifty:

Unless he/she is tailgating a single car/truck that won't get over! Sorry, but going 65Mph does not mean that you can live in the left lane and not yield to faster traffic! :yell: If I have to pass you in the right lane, YOU deserve a ticket, Period!

[BadRepp66]

Hey, TLR, can I borrow your bike for awhile????

[Redlegracing]

:haha: :haha: :haha:

[MarinesBiatch]

Unless he/she is tailgating a single car/truck that won't get over! Sorry, but going 65Mph does not mean that you can live in the left lane and not yield to faster traffic! :yell: If I have to pass you in the right lane, YOU deserve a ticket, Period!

Yeah, I hate that too... It happens far too often, too!! :yell:

[Redlegracing]

I think a whole autobahn aproch should be taken when it comes to the freeways. I beleave that they were made for people like myself who are in a desparate hurry to get to where I should have been 30 minutes ago... and that if you're lackadaisy slow and otherwise being human colesteral in the arteries of progress you just need to take the surfice streets instead... Also the twisty road less travaled outside the city limits was made as a bikers playground!!!

Personal opinion

Kevin

[TOM-CAT]

I think a whole autobahn aproch should be taken when it comes to the freeways. I beleave that they were made for people like myself who are in a desparate hurry to get to where I should have been 30 minutes ago... and that if you're lackadaisy slow and otherwise being human colesteral in the arteries of progress you just need to take the surfice streets instead... Also the twisty road less travaled outside the city limits was made as a bikers playground!!!

Personal opinion

Kevin

It must not be that personal of an opinion, because I share it whole heartedly!! :rad: